Gifts for Mom for Christmas 2010

Finding the right gift for mother at Christmas doesn’t have to take a long time or even break the bank. Here are some old and new ideas for this mother’s day. All you have to do is NOT wait until the last minute:

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A clutch of printed baby photos: If you’re like most people, you now have literally thousands of digital photos hogging disk space on your computer. What you likely don’t have are many prints of these photos. A very thoughtful and very inexpensive gift is to take 25-50 favorite photos of your bambino and get them printed out.

At the cost of maybe ten bucks, you have a very thoughtful present. For a little bit more ($168), here’s a fun photo charm bracelet from Teaccups and Tadpoles that will likely have her crying if you find the best photos of you and the kids to put in it.

(There’s a special offer for GreatDad users: 15% off on orders of $50 or more. Enter code GREATDAD15 in the comments box at checkout and your credit card will be refunded 15% after the sale.)

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iPod: Maybe by now, everyone in America already has one, but if your wife doesn’t, this is always a hit. She can load it up with kids’ songs to play in the car, lectures if she’s the studious type, or top 40 for the gym.

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Flowers – sure, it’s an old standby, but they are always appreciated. Guys never understand why and maybe that’s why moms appreciate it when we think of them; because they know it’s a big stretch for us. Whether you buy them at the grocery store on Sunday morning or order ahead from one of these online stores, they never disappoint.

A special craft project. Okay, it’s another time-intensive gift, but this one comes with plenty of time off for mom while you take the kids down to the basement to work on the special project. Here is a site with plenty of projects and stuff you can easily make with the kids for mom. We especially liked the House Keys wood, glue and paint idea.

Photo mug: Yes, it is corny, but moms can’t resist the picture of a little baby grinning from the side of a coffee mug. You can only hope you get so lucky that someone gets one for you. And, not at all expensive – it just takes time. With this one, just make sure to order early, and get one for both grandmas (and maybe grandpas!) at the same time. We like online photo gifts. Other good options are Photoworks and Shutterfly.

Spa certificate: All this takes is the forethought to stop by a local spa or gym and buy a gift certificate. Of course, the catch is that you will watch the little rascals for a few hours.

Picture Book: If you have a lot of digital pictures and are always frustrated that there are never any printouts, make a picture book. If you have a Mac, it’s very simple right out of iPhoto. Photoworks and Shutterfly also help you make them as well.

A great dad himself, Armin speaks not only as a specialist in parenting, but as a parent himself.
Hailed by Time Magazine as "the superdad's superdad," Armin Brott has been building better fathers for more than a decade. As the author of six bestselling books on fatherhood, he's helped millions of men around the world become the fathers they want to be—and that their children need them to be.
He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, American Baby, Parenting, Child, Men's Health, The Washington Post, and dozens of other major publications and websites.
Armin has been a guest on hundreds of radio and television shows, including Today, CBS Overnight, Fox News, and Politically Incorrect, and his work on fatherhood has been featured in such places as Glamour, Time, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Newsday, and many others.
Armin is the host of "Positive Parenting," a weekly radio program which airs in the San Francisco Bay Area and a number of other markets. He also does the "DaddyCast" podcast. As a trusted spokesperson, Armin speaks on fatherhood around the country and teaches classes for expectant and new dads. Armin lives with his wife and three children in Oakland, California.

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